Types of communication

By Natasha Uppal

Classification/Types of Communication

• Interpersonal communication

• Intrapersonal communication

• Group Communication

• Mass Communication

According to number of persons who receive the

message

• Verbal Communication

• Non-Verbal Communication

• Meta- Communication

On the basis of the medium employed

Classification/Types of Communication

• Formal communication

• Informal communicationOn the basis of

organizational structure

• Downward communication

• Upward communication

• Horizontal communication

• Diagonal communication

On the basis of flow or direction

Verbal/oral

communication

Oral Media: Where spoken words are used .It includes face-to-face conversations, speech, radio, telephone etc.

Written Media :Where written signs or symbols are used to communicate . A written message may be printed or hand written.

Oral

Face to face

Telephonic conversation

Interviews

Meetings

Lectures

Conferences

Symposiums

Radio Talks, TV, Cinema

shows

Announcements

Face to face

Communication between two or more people by direct contact.

Advantages:

Helps people to express ideas, feelings much better.

Helps to realize easily , the person is sincere or not.

Can get response Immediately, without misunderstanding.

Disadvantage:

It is less reliable.

Not suitable for lengthy message.

It provides no record for future reference.

It has language problem.

Influenced by self interest.

It does not provide sufficient time for thinking before conveying.

Written

communication

various forms:

Reports

Circulars

Magazines

Manuals

Memoranda

Newspapers

Pictures, diagrams,

graphs..

Orders

Notice boards..

Advantages:

Information is in uniform manner.

Permanent record of

communication.

Ideal way for lengthy messages.

Complete, clear, precise and

correct.

Suited to convey large no of people.

Means of exchange at distant

places.

Disadvantages:

Expensive

Time consuming and rigid, no scope

for alterations.

Formal, lack personal touch.

Non-Verbal

Nonverbal communication

is the sending or receiving

of wordless messages,

such as gesture, body

language, posture, tone of

voice or facial expressions

are non verbal

communication.

Types of nonverbal;

Kinesics(body language)

Haptics (touch language)

Proxemics ( space)

Chronemics( time)

Silence

Paralanguage

Sign

Nonverbal communication

you cannot NOT communicate !

Kinesics

Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures or, more formally, non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.

-Facial expression

-Postures

-Body Movements

-Gestures

-Eye contact

-Haptics

Proxemics

To communicate while keeping a distance/ space.

The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us is influenced by no of factors including social norms, situational factors, personality etc…

Signs

Silence

Allowing silence in a conversation puts pressure on

the other person.

Silence can indicate hostility.

Silence can indicate disagreement.

Silence can indicate respect.

Silence can indicate contemplation.

Silence can be the creation of a listening space.

Silence can be an indication of empathy.

Paralanguage

Attributes of speaking

which include the pitch,

the tone, the volume,

tempo, rhythm,

articulation, resonance,

nasality and even the

accent of the speaker

collectively known as

paralanguage.

Chronemics

Chronemics is the study

of the use of time

in nonverbal

communication. The way

that one perceives and

values time, structures

time and reacts to time

frames communication.

Across cultures, time

perception plays a large

role in the nonverbal

communication...

Interpersonal

communication

Communication between two or more people called inter-personal communication

Intrapersonal

Communication

Intra-personal communication is a process in which people communicate with themselves either consciously or unconsciously.

Group communication

Mass

Communication

Communication through electronic gadgets (mass media0 like books, journals, TV, newspapers etc

Meta

communication

It is a secondary

communication (including

indirect cues about how a

piece of information is

meant to be interpreted.

It is based on idea that

the same message

accompanied by different

meta-communication can

mean something entirely

different, including its

opposite

Informal

communication

Includes instances of

free and unrestrained

communication between

people who share a

casual rapport with each

other.

Casual Conversation

Grapevine

Personal Conversation

No rules

Friend or family

Consensus

Formal

communication

Formal communication

implies the flow of the

information along the

lines of authority formally

established by the

enterprise.

Conferences

Meetings

Memos

Policy manuals

Corporate letters..etc

Vertical

communication

Communication between a superior and subordinate is known as vertical communication.

Vertical communication maybe downward vertical communication or upward vertical communication.

Downward

communication

Downward

communication follows

the line of authority from

the top to the bottom of

the organization

hierarchy. It is needed :

1. To get things done

2. prepare for changes

3. To discourage lack of

understanding and

suspicion

4. To let the member

have a sense of

belonging to the

organization.

Boss

Notices

Orders Memos

Letters

Bulletins

Upward

communicationUpward communication

means the flow of

information from the lower

levels of the organization to

the higher levels of authority.

It is needed:

1. To create receptiveness

of communication

2. Active participation

3. To evaluate effectiveness

of communication

4. Morale/coordination/idea

s.

Diagonal

Communication

Diagonal communication is transfer of information between people who are neither in the same department nor on the same level of organization hierarchy is called diagonal communication.

Horizontal

communication

The transmission of information and understanding between people at the same level of organization hierarchy is called the horizontal communication i:e the communication between two departmental managers. Also called lateral or sideward communication.

Phew! Thank you!